Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-05-19
IN THE MIDDLE WEST.
A Story Of Life In the Great
Mississippi Valley.
BY ALvA MILTON KERR.
looFYRIoHT 1854 nv TIVE A. N. KEuIooo
NEwsPAPER CoNrANY.l
CHAPTEn xxvL-coNrrNurn,


CHAPTER xxyL-CoNrrNuEn
He dressed slightly bcttor than for
merly, and the glass was little oft
cner at his lips; but then steam mus
be kept up. he said TO himself and nj
his enemies must be placatcd in thi
supreme season, and all debts of malic,
due hlm, together with all bitter dates
uxpungcd from the calendar Of hi
years.
He met John Earllng the next day
nfter the young mans return, and {
vail Of darkness fell over his face, but
II was quickly swept aside by dash
Of rather shcopish sunshine, and he
graspcd the sober young fellows hand
hilariously and went pulling onward.
lie had thickencd; the little stairway
of chins that hid its foot behind hi.
loose ncck-cloth had added q step OF
two. and his tread was heavy. Still
he had not nearly done with life, he
thought; had been q driver of things
from youth up; had conquered riches.
no matter how, and now he would
conquer honor, and as for that, too, no
matter how.
Through these days John Earllng's
life ran on like something parchod.
like something parted from the sweet
enlivening touch of rain and dew.
His little room up under the roof OF
Bowers Block, and the Office Of Bower
q Earling, became again his almost
exclusive haunts; the scenes of his toll,
his study, his vigils, his suiferings, his
dreams. A deal of bait had been laid
in his way upon his return TO Open
stone with intent TO toll him into the
social stream, doubtless called out by
the flame-like view they got Of him nj
Fowlcr's 4rial, his admittance to n
partnership with Judge Bowor and
the golden moth-allunng aurora cast
over HIM by the old lawyers gift.
But all was in vain; too much that was
somber encircled him, too much that
was bitter had flown over him; ne
could not be gay
by tunes he went out to the cottage
beyond the river where the sun wsss
burning at the worlds edge and sat
awhile on Captain Heaters porch.
That foury person seemed never less
liable TO start up and run than during
these visits. No hour to him seemed
quite so full Of sociabiliiy and good
cheer as when, with the twins gambOl-
ing in the grass at tho end of the
house, and Ether sewing inside the
open window. he and John Earring sat
through long silences and watched the
sun 60 down.
Absalom, however, was not always
30 content TO sit upon his porch; for
should Julius Popp's cleaning glasses.
or the expressive visage of Ycslit. be
deserted ascending the hill, nothing
less coercive than instan. death would
probably have restrained him from
tiptocing with terror out the back way
and down the back path to the mill,
followed by Ethcr's laughter To have
remained through the lingual Hood
that descended upon tho cottage with
such occasions, TO him, would have
been not unlike an hour of dark and
fragmentary dclirium. Nevertheless,
II often descended, and having exhaust
cd itself, left Julius, since Mrs. Popp
had supplanted him with the little con
servatory upon her own, languidly
stranded upon Absalom's porch, with
his heels high on the rail, and his blink
ing eyes watching the smoke of his ci-
gar, and the fgmcnts Of his mind dis
solve together In the air One among
the divers images that throngcd the
weeds blue yapor especially invited
his eyes to follow. II was vision Of
Joel in Congress, with his swollen son
holding through Ycslit the position of
son TO himself All! what brilli9nt
lifting upl On such occasions he could
not forbcar cracking his heels together
ON the rail, and fetching a long de-
licious "lIahr' rs II he had lust
drawn down most glorious gulp
OF liquor. And the thing seemed
not improbable. Joers nets
were drawing inward, his wires focus
ing upon himself, and, set to focus hiul
In the worlds eve, were growing taut,
while Harry, circling In the glow that
surrounded the phosphorcscent Yeslit,
seemed ever drawing nearer aud near
or the honied flame. The first fact
Mrs. Whitney was ignorant Of; for Joel
discreetly cloaked his ambition from
every one, save within the month he
had slowly uncovered il 10 select and
obedient few, who, from under the
secret shelter of his wings, were 10
carry 1t to the many at the right mo-
ment; but Of the latter fact Mrs. Whit
ney was fully cOgnizant, and sallowed.
nnd yellowed. and greened, aud fumed.
and wrought herself all TO no purpose
into the jaundiee over IT, "lIarry did
nothing which was nothing new
she averred TO Joel, "but dangle. and
dangle, and dangle. after that pre-
Liming. planning, chattcring POpp
girl. IL was fishing after position on
her part, too abominablc for patience:
II was enough 10 set one wildn And
Joel had gruilly intimaicd in return
that the chattering Popp girl
would probably go wild enough herself
h time II she married himr And
Mrs. Whitney had reiOincd that "it
was hateful and miserable in him 10
talk sop' And Joel had further re-
turned "that the girl was n mighty
sight the best Of the two, and carried
more s0nd 10 the square inch than
their Stalled sucking did to the cubic
yard, and other like observations,
that had the effect Of putting Mrs
Whitney TO bed with the HISTORIES
Very dark were the sacks under JOers
eyes on such occasions; nci that the
girl was not meot fer his son, for he
honestly thought her too good, bat
that his son did nothing but dress,
play billiards apd lounge in short was
AN idler, 10 Joel the most ineompre-
henslble anddospicnble thing under the
sun. He know why il was, or thought
he knew; the boy had had a feather |
bed liiei had never felt necessity push
ing him into action; had been softly |
cushioned and padded on all sides from
work; II was his mothers fault Alasi |
after all. this was what riches had done |
for himl II had made his only son |
something else than Mani
Still, Joel was a good deal numbed !
10 life's little stings la these days by |
the approaching birth of his long nuri- |
nrod project That its delivery should
be successful vas naturally 20 him a
supreme caro-; had Il been acconpanied